NASA spokesman Bob Jacobs said the "do not touch" signs are there as a day-to-day reminder, but noted that in this case, touching the hardware was fine.

"Procedures require the hardware to be cleaned before tiles are bonded to the spacecraft, so touching the surface is okay," Jacobs said in an email. "Otherwise, the hardware would have had a protective cover over it like the thermal heat shield, which was nearby.”

Last week, President Trump signed an executive order re-establishing the National Space Council to coordinate the country's space efforts. Pence is leading the council.

“Let us do what our nation has always done since its very founding and beyond: We've pushed the boundaries on frontiers, not just of territory, but of knowledge," Pence said in remarks to Kennedy Center employees, according to NASA. "We've blazed new trails, and we’ve astonished the world as we’ve boldly grasped our future without fear. From this 'Bridge to Space,' our nation will return to the moon, and we will put American boots on the face of Mars."